Teachers and students at Pearl High made the most of the limited resources available to them. Teachers' high expectations for student achievement were boosted by their close ties to parents. "You had the church, the home, and the school," explained Alice Epperson, class of 1962. "You were encouraged to do your very best, and if you didn't, somebody knew."

With few teaching aids, teachers had to use creativity and enthusiasm to hold students' interest. Their dedication paid off. "I can remember Reverend Ewing spending his summers with math sessions," Epperson recalled, "and Ms. Holland doing chemistry in the summer without pay. They were interested in encouraging the students to do as much as possible."

Explore the memories of four people from the Pearl High School community.

After graduating from Pearl, Alice Epperson attended Florida A & M University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy. For more than twenty years, she has worked for Roche Laboratories as a pharmaceutical representative for the Nashville area.

Class of 1935, and later a music teacher at PearlFavorite subject: MusicToughest subject: LatinActivities: Basketball, Orchestra, Jazz Band

Marcus Gunter was Pearl High School's music teacher and band leader for 39 years. Subsequently, he became a funeral director at William Gunter & Sons Funeral Home and Funeral Directors in Nashville, Tennessee. He especially remembers Pearl for its superb faculty.

As a parent of a Pearl High School student and the spouse of a teacher, Nat Crippens experienced the closeness of the school community and witnessed its undeniable school pride. He saw how the students respected and revered the teachers, who challenged them, and he marvels at how close the graduates remain to this day. Mr. Crippens' son, David, was so inspired by his teachers, fueled with discipline and the desire to succeed that he went on to establish his own media consulting firm in Los Angeles.